Pilot for railway-cars



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. W. BELL & J. W. TRIGKETT.

PILOT FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 365,664. Patented June 28, 1887.

A M Q a H o r w 0 m m m G M /E w m M m a W I s l m as T a u N (No Model.)

2 Sheets--She'et 2. G. W. BELL 8t J. W. TRIOKETT.

PILOT FOR RAILWAY CARS.

.No. 365,664. Patented June 28, 1867.

N. PETERS, Phnm-uma m her, Washington. [1.0.-

GEORGE WASHINGTON BELL AND JOHN ESLEY TRIOKETT, OF ST. JOSEPH,

' MISSOURI.

PILOT FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,664, dated June 28, 1887.

Application filed April 16, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE \VASHINGTON BELL and JOHN WEsLEY TEIoKETT, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Joseph,

in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a 'new and useful Improvementin Pilots forRailway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention relates to an improvement in L3 pilots for railway-cars, being particularly designed for use in connection with cable and other street-railways; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully Set forth herein- I; after, and particularly pointed out in, the

. claims.

The object of our invention is to provide a pilot which is adapted to travel upon the track in advance of the car or train, and to catch co persons or animals who may be standing on the track without seriouslyinjuring them, and thus prevent them from being run over and killed or maimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a pilot embodying our improvements.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,showing the pilot coupled to the front end of a car. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the pilot. Fig. 4 is a detailed bottom plan 0 view ofa portion of the pilot.

A represents the body of the pilot, COD]- prising the Side walls, B, the rear wall, 0, and the bottom D. The side walls, B, have their upper edges inclined downwardly and slightly 3 5 curved, as shown, thereby forming inclines E.

On the upper edges of the side walls are secured outwardly-projecting flange-plates F.

G represents a plate which connects the upper edges of the side walls near their. rear ends. I

The pilot may be made of wood, metal, or any other suitable material. The flange-plates F and G and the inner sides of the side and .rear walls are upholstered with leather or other suitable material, thereby forming an elastic or yielding surface or cushion.

H represents a bent axle, which is secured under the pilot,near the front end thereof,and has the vertical. arms I, provided with the Serial No. 235,057. No model.)

horizontal outwardlyextending spindles, on which are journaled a pair of flanged sup portingwheels, K, that bear upon the track in advance of the car or train. The rear side of the pilot is coupled to the front end of the car, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the pilot is supported entirely upon the two wheels K. The lower front side of the pilot is provided with a horizontal forwardly-projecting footboard, M. To the under side of the said foot-board is secured a laterally-movable board, N. A spring, 0, is Secured under the foot-board and bears against the board N, so as to move the latter normally forward beyond the front edge of the footboard N. The diameter of the wheels K is such that the foot-board is supported about one-half inch above the top of the track.

1? represents an inclined trap, which is curved to correspond to the inclines E. This trap is made either of grating of any suitable,

material, or of wire-gauze, woven wire, rubher, or any suitable metal. The front side of the trap is hinged to the frontside ofthe pilot, just in rear of the foot-board M.

It represents springs, which bear under the lower side of the trap and raise the same normally to the position indicated in solid lines in Fig. 3.

S represents a guard-rai1,which is arranged around the sides of the pilot,and is secured at a suitable distance above the upper edge of the pilot by means of braces T.

The operation of our invention is as fol-' lows: In the event that a person standing upon or in the act of crossing the track should be struck by the train, the board N will come in contact with his feet just above the soles of his shoes, and he will be thrown readily upon the upper side of the trap, which, being sup ported by springs, will yield under his weight, and he will be caught in the pilot without being seriously injured. The railing around the edges of the pilot offers a convenient handhold for the person caught to catch hold of, and the upholstered or cushioned edges and sides of the pilot will break his fall and prevent him from being bruised. By providing the foot-board with the projecting springactuated board N the latter is caused to first come in contact with the feet of the person standing on the track, and to yield under the concussion, thus in a measure lessening the force of the blow. The springactuated trap serves to gently lower the person caught by the pilot to the bottom thereof, thus preventing him from being thrown or from falling over the sides of the pilot ontothe ground.

Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. The pilot adapted to be coupled to the front end of a car, and having the supportingwhcels K to bear upon the track, the project ing foot-board having the yielding board N, projecting normally beyond its front edge, and theinclined yielding trap 1?, substantially as described.

2. Thepilot adapted to be coupled to the front end of a car, and having the supportingwheels K to bear upon the track, and the yielding trap P, substantially as described.

3. A pilot for railway-trains, having the projecting foot-board provided with the yielding board N, projecting normally beyond the front edge of the foot-board, substantially as described.

4. The pilot for railway-ca'rs,having the inclined edges E and the guard-rail supported above the edges of the pilot, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the pilot and the inclined trap hinged at its front side to the front side of the pilot, and the springs bearing under the said trap, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

6. A pilot for railway cars or trains provided with the inclined yielding trap and the guard-rail inclosing the trap.

In testimony that we claiinthc foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE \VASI-IINGTON BELL. JOHN \VESLEY TRIGKETT. \Vitnesses:

FRANK M. SEYMOUR, 1\L[YRTLE STALNAKER. 

